Firefly Aerospace (FLY) vs Merlin (MRLN)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 9, 2026.
Summary
Firefly Aerospace (FLY) has outperformed Merlin (MRLN) over the past year, losing 33.3% versus a loss of 87.4%. Firefly Aerospace is the larger company by market cap ($3.46 billion vs $137.5 million), about 25.2 times the size.
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | FLY | MRLN |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $20.67 | $1.36 |
| Market cap | $3.46B | $137.45M |
| 1-day change | -3.91% | -3.55% |
| YTD return | -7.60% | -87.31% |
| 1-year return | -33.32% | -87.42% |
| EPS (TTM) | $-0.26 | $-5.85 |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Annual dividend | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Revenue (latest FY) | $159.85M | — |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | +162.95% | — |
| Net income (latest FY) | $-298.34M | — |
| Gross margin | 19.18% | — |
| Operating margin | -163.08% | — |
| Net margin | -186.63% | — |
| 52-week high | $62.17 | $17.00 |
| 52-week low | $16.00 | $1.31 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -66.75% | -92.00% |
| Analyst consensus | none | strong_buy |
| Avg. price target upside | +84.71% | +530.88% |
| Average volume | 3.18M | 2.21M |
| Shares outstanding | 167.40M | 101.07M |
| Employees | 1,409 | — |
| Sector | Industrials | Technology |
| Industry | Military/Government/Technical | EDP Services |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- Firefly Aerospace is about 25.2 times larger than Merlin by market value ($3.46B vs $137.45M).
- FLY has outperformed MRLN by 54.1 percentage points over the past year.
- The two companies sit in different sectors: Firefly Aerospace in Industrials and Merlin in Technology.
About Firefly Aerospace
FLY stock →Firefly Aerospace Inc. operates as a space and defense technology company and provides mission solutions for national security, government, and commercial customers in United States.
Industrials · Military/Government/Technical · 1,409 employees
About Merlin
MRLN stock →Merlin, Inc., an aerospace and defense technology company, develops AI-powered autonomous flight software and systems for aircraft in the United States and New Zealand. The company provides an aircraft-agnostic, AI-powered software platform that enables autonomous flight for both legacy and next-generation airborne systems.
Technology · EDP Services
FLY vs MRLN FAQ
Which is bigger, Firefly Aerospace or Merlin?
Firefly Aerospace (FLY) is larger, with a market capitalization of $3.46B compared with $137.45M for Merlin (MRLN).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, FLY or MRLN?
FLY returned -33.32% over the past 12 months, compared with -87.42% for MRLN (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Are Firefly Aerospace and Merlin in the same industry?
No. Firefly Aerospace is in the Industrials sector, while Merlin is in Technology.